Unconquered Sun Style
The odd Arms of the Unconquered Sun style dates back to the High First Age. Originally intended as a meditative exercise as much as a fighting art, it was often taught to newly reborn Solars to hasten their mastery of complex Essence workings. Those who sought initiation into Sidereal martial arts considered it a useful bridge toward mastery of those allegorical fighting styles, while the pious enjoyed practicing the forms of the style for devotional purposes.This Celestial martial art is little known in the Age of Sorrows. Its scrolls were purged from Creation along with their authors, systematically sought out and destroyed during the Shogunate. Some ancient Lunars remember the style, but few practice it. The only known remaining manuals that fully describe the style are held among the libraries of the Sidereal Exalted, who feared to insult the Unconquered Sun by letting the style fade from existence altogether. And yet, the style might be witnessing a resurgence at last, as new students practice the Forms of the Sun in the training camps of the Cult of the Illuminated. Weapons and Armor: Arms of the Unconquered Sun is an unarmed style only, although it does permit practitioners to wear up to medium armor. Day and Night Kata Cost: 4m; Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 9) Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Counterattack Duration: One action Prerequisite Charms: None The martial artist makes it certain that she will endure to strike back at an opponent, as surely as day follows the tribulations of the night. Invoked in response to an attack that successfully strikes the character, this Charm does nothing to immediately protect her from the blow, but it does present a formidable defense that keeps further attacks from having any chance of harming her. Invoking this Charm against an attacker renders it impossible for that attacker to direct any subsequent attacks at the martial artist until his (the attacker’s) DV refreshes. This is treated as a counterattack, even though the defense is not inherently hostile. Spirit Over Clouds Approach Cost: 4m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Day and Night Kata The key to victory resides in the intent to win. Completely focusing his Essence into an all-or-nothing attack, the martial artist renders an attack unblockable. Yet, he also reduces his DVs to 0 during the tick on which he attacks as a result of this focus. Rising Sun Form Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple (Speed 5) Keywords: Form-type, Obvious Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: Spirit Over Clouds Approach The martial artist leans forward, becoming a compact engine of violence. He adds his Martial Arts score to his Move, Dash and Jump distances, his unarmed attacks gain a +1 bonus to Accuracy, Damage and Defense, and he may parry ranged and lethal attacks without a stunt. He is immune to Crippling effects. Shining Sun Form Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: Form-type, Obvious Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: Spirit Over Clouds Approach The martial artist draws himself up straight, palms out, unmovable by will or muscle. He adds his Martial Arts to all grapple rolls, and his mighty open-handed punch attacks inflict piercing damage. He is immune to knockback, knockdown and Sickness effects. Fading Sun Form Cost: 6m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3; Type: Simple Keywords: Form-type, Obvious Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: Spirit Over Clouds Approach The martial artist settles into a flexible, rhythmless motion, fingertips bunched to attack nerve clusters and pressure points. He adds his Martial Arts to his natural bashing soak and lethal soak. The severity of all onslaught penalties he inflicts increases by one, and he becomes immune to onslaught penalties himself. He is also immune to unwanted Shaping effects. Sleeping Sun Form Cost: 6m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: Form-type, Obvious Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: Spirit Over Clouds Approach The martial artist sinks into a low, rigid crouch, presenting the knife-edges of his hands to his foes. His strikes crush windpipes and rend soft tissue, inflicting lethal damage. Minute adjustments in defensive posture render him immune to coordinated attack penalties. He adds his Essence to his DVs, and becomes immune to Poison effects. Meditation Upon the Spear Cost: 6m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 2; Type: Extra Action Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Rising Sun Form The spear carried by the Unconquered Sun is a simple weapon, serving only one purpose. But it is also nimble, able to strike down foes from a multitude of angles. In its simplicity, it is a thing of awe and fear Drawing from this example, the martial artist unleashes a flurry of strikes along many different vectors at a single opponent, each ultimately connecting in the same place. The character makes an unarmed Martial Arts attack at his full dice pool. Should it inflict damage, he immediately follows it up with another attack, and should that also inflict damage, he repeat this sequence until he has either failed to harm his opponent or (Martial Arts + Essence) total attacks have been delivered. Each attack ignores one cumulative point of the target’s soak. All attacks are delivered atfull dice pool. The flurry ignores Rate and has a total Speed and DV penalty equal to the highest of any individual attack. Meditation Upon the Horn Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive (Step 9) Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Counterattack, Emotion Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Shining Sun Form When the Unconquered Sun winds his horn, the unrighteous tremble, feeling their feeble pretensions of strength drain away. This Charm may be invoked in response to an attack, whether it actually strikes the martial artist or not. Stepping forward, he unleashes a powerful and fearful kiai that disrupts his opponent’s Essence. The martial artist’s player rolls (Charisma + Martial Arts) with a number of bonus successes equal to his Essence and compares it to his attacker’s Dodge MDV. Should the total successes exceed that MDV, the target is filled with soul-deep terror. This unnatural mental influence costs three Willpower to resist. If not resisted, the target’s DV does not replenish itself upon his next action (though other effects dependent upon his DV refreshing, such as being able to use a new Charm selection, still occur). Meditation Upon the Shield Cost: 4m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 9) Keywords: Combo-OK, Counterattack Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Fading Sun Form The shield of the Unconquered Sun is used both to catch blows and to batter his enemies. It teaches martial artists to be active even in their passive defenses. A character uses this Charm when he has been subjected to an attack, whether it strikes or not. He steps into the blow, reaching out to remove his foe’s ability to fight. The character is given the choice of countering either by launching a disarm attempt with his Martial Arts added in bonus dice, or initiating a clinch with his Essence added in bonus dice. Meditation Upon the Laurel Cost: 5m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK, Crippling, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Sleeping Sun Form The fourth arm of the Unconquered Sun clutches a laurel branch, symbolizing peace and prosperity. It is the prize for which the other arms of the Unconquered Sun strive. Mindful of this lesson, the martial artist imposes peace through any means necessary. Concentrating for a moment and then launching a precise, forceful strike to his opponent’s solar plexus, the character disrupts Essence flow through that key meridian. He launches a Martial Arts attack at his full dice pool. Should it inflict any damage, the target suffers a Crippling effect that forces him to add a surcharge equal to his own current wound penalty to the cost of any Essence expenditures he makes for the remainder of the scene. Heaven-and-Earth Stairway Cost: — (1m); Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Obvious Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Meditation upon the Spear, Meditation upon the Horn, Meditation upon the Shield, Meditation upon the Laurel As the Unconquered Sun moves naturally from station to station and shifts effortlessly between the faces he shows the world, so too does the martial artist. Utilizing a brief transitional kata called the Steps of Unity, he may reflexively shift between any of the known Form-type Charms of the Arms of the Unconquered Sun Style for one mote. This benefit may be used only once per action, and only if the character already has one of the style’s Form-type Charms active. The character continues committing the motes for whichever Form-type Charm he had originally invoked and does not have to add to this cost, even if the new Form-type Charm is more expensive. Dropping this commitment will drop whatever Form-type Charm he has active. Crowned Sun Form Cost: 7m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple Keywords: Form-type, Obvious Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: Heaven-and-Earth Stairway The martial artist relaxes into an easy stance, his attitude leonine in both its regality and vigilance, ready for anything. He reduces all multiple action penalties by one, adds (Essence) to the raw damage of his attacks, and is immune to unnatural mental influence within standard or mass combat time. (This last benefit does not apply to long-tick social or mass social combat.) More remarkably, the character’s watchful attitude and quick adaptation permit him to use the Sun Burning upon the Mirror technique. After observing an opponent taking at least three actions under the effects of a Form-type Charm, the character may reflexively commit one mote to emulate all benefits of that Charm, including the ability to use in-style weapons with the Martial Arts Ability (though they do not become compatible with other Arms of the Unconquered Sun Charms). The character may emulate only one Form-type Charm at a time, and he loses the basic benefits of Crowned Sun Form while doing so. All emulated benefits cease to apply should he change to another in-style Form-type Charm by way of the Heaven-and-Earth Stairway, though they will resume should he return to Crowned Sun Form later in the scene. Characters cannot emulate Form-type Charms from styles at stations of the Perfected Lotus into which they are unable to be initiated. (For example, a Lunar Exalt or Green Sun Prince could not emulate Charcoal March of Spiders Form.)